Charles Dufour & Francoise Martinot Bistrotage Extra Brut B.20

Charles Dufour & Francoise Martinot Bistrotage Extra Brut B.20

Charles Dufour
$90.00

Grape: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2020
Type: Sparkling

This organic grower Champagne is crafted by natural winemaker Charles Dufour from his mother's family vineyards in the Vallée de l'Arce. Sourced from the vintage harvest, the one-hundred percent pinot noir fruit comes from calcareous clay soils in the village of Chervey. The winemaking utilizes spontaneous native vineyard yeasts and complete malolactic fermentation, avoiding modern filtration or synthetic additives. The base wine ages for one year in an equal split of wooden barrels and steel vats before bottling without sulfur.

The nose is open and fresh, offering aromas of red currant, wild strawberry skin, and a light hint of fresh garden herbs. On the palate, the light-bodied frame is juicy and balancing crunchy red fruit with a mineral salinity. A snappy, vertical wave of limestone acidity runs through mid-palate, keeping the mouthfeel lively. It finishes clean, dry, and mouthwateringly light on its feet, with a low dosage.

Charles Dufour is a highly respected grower-producer of natural Champagne in the Côte des Bar region of southern Champagne, France. Taking over from his family in 2010, Charles quickly adopted organic and biodynamic farming practices, which are challenging in the region's climate. He is known for crafting authentic, terroir-driven Champagnes with a minimalist approach in the cellar. Dufour uses only native yeasts for fermentation, performs long lees aging, and adds minimal to no sulfur. The wines are unfined and unfiltered, expressing the purity of the fruit and terroir.